Cannondale Topstone 105 Bike Review

The birds are singing, water is flowing, a few snow drifts dot the trail, and now the wind is picking up. It’s May 21st and I’m on a section of the Colorado trail. A squall is building and will soon dump snow over the peaks and a mixture of snow and rain in the valley.

I know I need to get moving a quickly, fortunately for me I’m riding the Cannondale Topstone 105 bicycle. I turn the bike around, take a swig of water and I’m off! I blast through the mellow single track, across a footbridge, and onto a rough, rocky, county road. It’s downhill all the way to town, I’m on the brakes in certain rocky areas but the Topstone is soaking up the rocks and chunder with ease. The rough road soon turns to manicured gravel for a few miles and then paved back roads that haven’t been maintained in what seems like decades. 

WTB Nano tires

The WTB nano tires are handling just as well on the road as they do the gravel and single track. Before I know it I’m cruising down Main Street Buena Vista at a leisurely 25 mph. I’m sure everyone thinks I’m silly but when I’m on a bike I can’t stop smiling, this day was no exception. The Topstone is downright fun!

Gravel Grinder

Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of it, I mean this bike is marketed as a gravel grinder right? This bike is set up for long distance over all road surfaces, there are 3 water bottle bosses, a top tube bag mount, fender mounts, and more. I’ll be setting mine up for ultralight bike packing and commuting around town.

I picked up the mid-level Topstone which is equipped with the Shimano 105 group, it shifts smoothly and effortlessly and the hydraulic disc brakes operate smoothly and stop on a dime. Cannondale has made the frame of aluminum, but are utilizing a carbon front fork. With flat pedals on a medium frame, I’m coming in at 24 lbs. A respectable number for an aluminum frame bike. Cannondale did internal routing of all the components on the Topstone and it is a luxury, let’s face it gravel grinding is downright messy but with the Topstone clean up is a breeze. 

Overall impressions

This bike is downright a joy to ride, whether you want something to cruise around town, explore off the beaten path, or a bike that can simply do a lot of things well the Topstone is for you! Demo one at your local Cannondale dealer, or take my word for it. You’ll be grinding gravel in no time.

Cannondale Topstone 105 $1750 at REI

 

 

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Will Coleman

Hi, I’m Will, I’m currently living the van life in Colorado. I enjoy mountaineering, splitboarding, climbing, trail running and type 2 fun! I’m 28 years old and spend as much time outside as possible. I moved to Colorado in 2014 from Mississippi and grew up in the mid-south. I have been snowboarding since 2000 and the mountains have had my heart ever since. You can find me anywhere from riding Colorado’s high peaks to climbing desert towers, to climbing in the PNW!